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Valve's 'Steam Box' Console Is Real, Says Gabe Newell
symbolset writes "The Verge is reporting that the Steam Console we discussed in November is a real thing. Gabe Newell said it will be a locked down platform for the living room. The source is a Kotaku interview with Newell at the Video Game Awards. Newell said, 'Well certainly our hardware will be a very controlled environment. If you want more flexibility, you can always buy a more general-purpose PC. For people who want a more turnkey solution, that's what some people are really gonna want for their living room. The nice thing about a PC is a lot of different people can try out different solutions, and customers can find the ones that work best for them.'"
is Steam Big Picture as a desktop environment for ubuntu, or something along those lines - a linux OS which boots up into Steam. So you can build your own steam console with the hardware you want (and is fully upgradeable when new tech comes out) and ready to rock as soon as the OS is installed.
... wait, what?
Arguably, Valve probably wouldn't be pushing full "steam" ahead on this if Microsoft hadn't dreamt up a Windows Store. This is in my opinion a real game changer for the PC ecosystem and the future of Windows.
Valve's move into this space breaks the virtual oligopoly that presently exists in the livingroom console market and opens the opportunity for further value through on-demand video with the existing STEAM infrastructure.
It sounds like the Windows Market Place was the catalyst for a true market shift.
How long until someone has it cracked and running general-purpose Linux? Bonus: How long until someone makes a cluster of them?
I am a geek attorney, but not your geek attorney unless you've already retained me. This is not legal advice.
Sorry for the youtube link, but it's a video interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCP85FngzE
Help stamp out iliturcy.
If it has a keyboard and mouse as first class citizens (or at least a mouse!) count me in, else forget about it.
"Well certainly our hardware will be a very controlled environment," he said. "If you want more flexibility, you can always buy a more general purpose PC. For people who want a more turnkey solution, that's what some people are really gonna want for their living room.
Valve is shooting themselves in the foot here. One of the things that makes PC gaming interesting is the ability to use the hardware you want. Valve needs to think of this console as a way to get people interested in buying off of the Steam marketplace. Valve isn't going to win if they think they can build yet-another-console and then try to compete with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. But they do stand to win among the enthusiasts if they leave the hardware open. If they fight the traditional closed console model then they will always have the best game experience. Closed hardware simply can't compete with the ability for a person to get top of the line hardware today. And if they want, they could even do a "Steam Box Certification" program and get a couple of bucks for the effort.
For gaming.
For linux.
For users.
It could only be bad for Microsoft, unless Valve screws it up, and judging by thier track record for the last few years I don't think they will.
My hope:
If you want a brain-dead easy, pre-built machine, buy a SteamBox: all the advantages of PC Gaming, with Wide Screen, TV support and the ease of use of a console.
If you want the same experience only BETTER- learn how to build your own pc, match the guidelines set forth by Valve as far as recommended hardware and build your own with upgraded performance levels.
This is a great thing to see and I truly hope they succeed.
And my 12 year old nephew already wants a SteamBox too.
... I told you gabe was not your friend.
what part of that sounds like SONY or MS or nintendo or ..(insert stupid corporation here )
Add digital tuning card and a Mcard slot, and rule the living room!
another locked down console to sit under TV that plays all the same games the other locked down consoles play
where the hell is Half-Life 3?????? I dont care about this console, and I barely use my PS3. Just give me something, like maybe this will be used to play Half-life 3, i dunno, ANYTHING. I mean christ, finishing grad school was faster.
It won't make it past its 2nd iteration
All your 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 are belong to us
I'm hesitated to get excited about this... I have to wonder just how locked down it will be. Hopefully it will continue in the tradition of steam drm being not malware infesting and generally just enough to get the job done. Advertisements and other annoyances will hopefully be easily disabled like on the PC (the xbox 360 is just disgusting to navigate these days).
With the increasing use of tiny solid state drives in hardware these days (the ipod classic going the way of the dodo, slim models of everything),
I wonder how much space the unit will have? Team Fortress 2 on its own is like 18gb with all the updates. I can't see the unit realistically being less than 300 if a standard hard drive must be included.
The problem is that they will always have to work with a specific set of commodity hardware. You and I might spend $1,000 USD just on our video cards for our new rig, but most people don't want to spend even the $300 for a brand new gaming console, let alone anything more. So, that means Valve will be forced to (as they said, themselves) focus on one specific set of hardware that their turnkey "PC gaming rig" will come with.
For the rest of us, we can use their software and services to enjoy the same sort of experience, but with as much hardware power as we want to throw at it, by building our own systems.
Unfortunately, this is not going to be a BOON to PC gaming. It is going to be the DEATH OF PC GAMING.
As it is, developers primarily focus on consoles and then make shitty PC ports. With a Steam system on a specific set of commodity hardware, they'll now be developing for three sets of shitty, out-dated, cheap commodity hardware. There will be no incentive to make any software/games that will really bring your $3500 rig to its knees. In which case, you might as well just have an XBox or Playstation, in the first place.
Valve over the years has gotten a large foothold in Windows gaming, now working on Linux gaming and set-top gaming. All they will be missing is smartphone (and mac?) presence before they can start having a google-like influence and presence.
http://interserver.net/
I am assuming that by locked down, they imply a signed bootloader and/or a signed kernel image. I wouldn't be opposed to that provided all games remain available for the open PC platform as well.
Such a thing is reasonable if they want to subsidize the hardware with games purchases and minimize tech support costs (There's far less headache to deal with if they can't do anything other than what you specifically approved. Anybody who has ever worked in an end user facing IT position would know this.) We can talk about software freedom all day (which I very much do want) but if ma, pa, and billy joe average either can't afford it or otherwise won't use it anyways due to it being too technical to them, then what's the point in having freedom over something you otherwise have nothing to do with?
Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
and they're not fantastic.
Until this is resolved, I'm wary of locking myself into Valve any more than I already am. The thought of a locked down environment worries me, too; that seems antithetical to what has made PC gaming and enthusiasm what it is.
Still, it's Valve, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but being trapped in one more walled garden not only with software but hardware is not the direction I like the industry to move.
The Xbox 360 has maybe a 30-35 million installed base - not 70 million by most tracking firms I've seen with most Xbox 360 owners having gone through 5-6 repurchases of newer model consoles hoping to finally get a console that works properly. And those 5-6 duplicate consoles don't count the Microsoft supplied replacement units from the RRoD fiasco and other various hardware problems that plague the Xbox 360.
It is kind funny in a pathetic sort of way that the only real bright spot for the Xbox 360 is the RRoD fiasco that helped inflate their apparent marketshare and kept them out of last place for a extra couple of years.
How humiliating for Microsoft to have rushed the shoddy and defective Xbox 360 hardware out the door a year early, sell tens of millions of duplicated consoles, and still end up in last place this gen.
Ouch.
We don't need more hardware, the current PC is good enough. Just give us some good software/games for it already.
I had the privilege of trying to install stream from behind a hotel firewall/router. Still doesn't work. Would download at under 16 kb/sec and there is hundreds of megs to download. I seen to recall that this is because it only uses a single tcp connection when there is a firewall and basically steam wasn't designed with this in mind. Remember, steam is fundamentally a web browser and file downloader. I know a few games where the stream based server browser also is very spotty. Firewall/NAT issues are pretty common, so if valve is aiming for mainstream then they have so far failed miserably. You need system administrator privileges to get stream to work.
70 million xbox sold, 5.6 million simulatenous users on steam tonight(presumably more total)
Yup, microsoft wouldn't even notice.
A more comparable figures would be Steam is 54 million active user accounts [concurrent peak users did peak at 6 million]. The numbers seem surprisingly close to seriously threaten Microsofts console gaming platform with Steam Cross-Multi-Platform
As for Microsoft not even noticing, they would be incredibly foolish not to, Microsoft has very little benefit over other platforms right now, even installations will be overtaken by android as soon as next year. Its gaming...and its control of the Graphics API lock-in are essential to if remaining relevant to the consumer market, which is being increasingly challenged.
Microsoft ALWAYS notice the competition they will be out with their chequebooks and lawyers banking on steams door.
If they do, it will be along the same lines as Google's Chrome - free, but impossible to actually build from source and use.
From the chromium web-site "Due mostly to its history and its complexity, Chromium uses a nonstandard set of custom tools to check out and build. Here's an overview of the steps you'll run:"
http://code.google.com/p/chromium/wiki/LinuxBuildInstructions
It doesn't matter. The "cheap valve box" owners will quickly rise in numbers and the "real PC gamers" will be dwarfed by this. The incentive to develop games for anything beyond the four low-end-hardware-consoles (MS, Sony, Nintendo, Valve)
This is the current state of play, I'm pretty sure the idea is for "3rd Party Hardware Vendors to Compete", they will have only two things to compete on price/performance, looking at the not too dissimilar Android phone/tablet market. This seems incredibly good for the consumer.
Copy an installed steam directory to a flash drive.
Delete the copied .blob file
Copy to the new system's HD
Download, install, and point the Steam download at the copied directory.
profit
You will save a lot of time this way as the "steam install" is pretty small.
They don't threaten each other. One is a Console and one is a pc.
You need to re-read my post, I coin the word Cross-Multi-Platform. I could have used the words "Steam ecosytem" if you prefer. The fact that you think gamers are either console gamers or PC gamers that is a nonsense. Ironically so as Microsoft are pushing for a convergence of their self styled ecosystem. The reality is in the modern world they are just shop fronts. I look forward to steam on my Android tablet; running on my Tivo box.
I have rechecked my original post. Its on the money.
Exactly the same flaming idiots who complain about the Apple's walled garden are championing the same thing for valve
With the massive difference that Value does not restrict you from loading alternative software on that machine, or limits the platform your running on...On second thoughts its nothing like Apples closed garden. In fact its starting to be incredibly cross platform...In fact it breaks walls. In fact Steam is doing this because it fears Microsoft's Walled garden,
Now it does have [loose] DRM, locking programs to the store, at the cost of convenience. Which is completely different issue...whatever you think of that.
Its only slightly off-topic Tomi's latest article is about Android replacing Windows as the dominant computing platform http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2012/12/android-won-windows-lost-now-what-the-battle-of-the-century-is-decided-microsoft-relegated-to-ever-s.html but I like this quote which is relevant.
"Android will breach the rarefied Billion user club in just six months from today, by June of 2013. A Billion users? Only a handful of brands have ever reached that lofty level. Facebook, Skype, Windows, Nokia, Coca Cola, Visa and Mastercard."
So the apple app store was designed to cut of steam's users as well then? and the Google one.
Your half getting it. Microsoft is trying to mimic Apples walled garden, so the possibility of not allowing other stores other than Microsoft's on your machine is very likely...unlike Google on Android which allows for you to have multiple stores on your device.
As for being in Microsoft control or Streams...My vote is for competition which is why I will always chose devices that are more open. :)
And you would have the console everyone missed.
You could just plug it in, and play straight away few seconds later, nothing beats that feeling.
Today everything has to boot forever, it takes several minutes just to wait for another game to boot up, I hate that. I live with it, but I don't like it.
With todays amazing solid state drive developments, this shouldn't be impossible. USB-memory sticks costs almost as little as CD's and Floppy Disks did back in the days, so we're getting there.
And the first console to do this, will win.
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
Performance is irrelevant, when the developers will have little incentive to create games targeted at anything but the lowest-common-denominator
...That has always been true...but its demonstrably not true. The reality is if you look at the current PC gaming platform, Android gaming platform. Its not true, why would you think something different would happen here. If you do not know why it doesn't happen. Its because maximising your *potential* market, is not the same as sales, revenue or even profit.
It's happened before, it happened again.
A prime example is Boxee. It started as a fork of XBMC, and the software was free. They made some hardware (Boxee box) to make it easier for people. Then they gradually phased out the software, and it's no longer being maintained (don't know if it can be downloaded). It seems that it's easy for companies to get fixated on money^W control^W hardware.
My prediction is that HL3 will be released when they roll this thing out. Possibly exclusively, at least initially.
... I think I'm switching to Haiku.
*Tadum* *Crash* *Thud*
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
You make what is current and then a few years later something else. It works for Nintendo etc.
Parse error.
Few details, but if he's talking about a box that's actually running games, I have to say I think they're going about this the wrong way. I think they should try solve the problem "How do we bring gaming from your already existing personal computer in another room, to your local devices (TVs, tablets)". Think "short range OnLive", creating a bridge between the computer and the display and sound output/controller input. You could even (for not so resource intensive games) run multiple instances on the SAME computer and have the I/O going to different devices, allowing separate-device multiplayer that way.
If they think they can 'take on MS and Sony' then sure the spoils from a stand-alone box would be greater, but I think growing the existing costumer base makes more sense than trying to build a new one. If you're spending a lot of money on steam, it's because you already have hardware to play games on. You don't need or necessarily WANT more hardware thingymajingies.
Belief is the currency of delusion.
Locked down, in this case, I think means something different from what you think it does. When developpers talk about locking down hardware requirements, they mean having a set spec to develop for.
If, for example, the "Steambox" ends up being a Core i3 dual core @ 2.9GHz, with 4GB of RAM, and a Radeon HD 7750 video card, then hardware developpers know that if they make sure their game runs on this spec then they're safe. It's a fairly cheap spec which could easily hit the sub-$400 PC market and go directly for consoles (could probably get it sub-$300 with that spec), and yet it's still powerful enough to run most modern games at max settings on 1080p.
Similarly, if you'd prefer to build your own, maybe have a bigger hard drive (which they'd have to skimp on to keep it sub-$300) and a more powerful processor or an optical drive, then you can. Stick Linux of your choice on there, pull down Steam from the repositories, and you have a reasonable assurance that anything built for the Steambox will also run on your own computer. And if you *really* want to continue running Windows, then you can, for now, and will be able to do so until Microsoft finally kicks Steam out. But Steam is going to be pushing developpers to start making stuff that works on Linux (and is making sure their own engine works on Linux for starters).
I would be surprised if this isn't similar to Gabe's vision, given what he said in the interview itself.
Is DRM good or bad for linux this week?
I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
Yes, people have to feed themselves and when some hobby project starts consuming their entire life they do tend to want to figure out a way to continue to eat.
Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
Ask much as I hate MS I realized that the Tabet UI could be a way for MS to sell a lot of W8's licenses to people who want a 10-Foot UI for their HTPC. I just built a A-8 5600K HTPC last week and I'm running Linux Mint on it but most of the Netbook UI's have disappeared and the Kubuntu Netbook Plasma was too flaky with the AMD drivers. Yah I adjusted the font sizes and what not but if you want to use non XBMC software you need to get close to the tv. Noe thing that might save my sanity for browsing the internet might be Kylo browser http://kylo.tv/ Will try it out today.
So I wouldn't write W8 off yet, money is money as long as people are installing in on PC hardware im sure MS will be happy.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
We already have locked down games consoles. I was hoping it would be something new and interesting, given the brilliant people they've herded to work on it.
Calm down, grandpa; his image is relevant and concisely explains his message.
So I understand Valve is going to make a killing off of this, but why would I as a PC gamer want to buy a console that pretends to be a PC? This isn't a PC, although Valve is going to market the shit out of it as that. This isn't increasing customer awareness by telling them what their computer can or can't run. This wont have adaptive and ever increasing hardware. There is really NO benefit to buying one of these except to fit the trend.
If it can run on a steambox, it can run in windows. With big mode you can have the same experience simply by buying a Xbox PC controller and hooking your PC up to your living room TV. I am personally ashamed and devestated by the direction Valve is taking with this. PCs were the last bastion for gamers wanting more then the watered down console experience and now Valve is going in to fuck that up too. There will no longer be a better version for the PC, there will be a better version for the PC (aka Steambox), which will be nothing more then another watered down PC wannabe in a year or two... let alone when it's going on seven. The PC moniker is going to mean nothing more then the Steambox in the future.
Fuck this, fuck Valve for killing the one last arena for PC gamers. Hardware baselines are killing the gaming industry and encourage nothing more then regurgitations of CoD23. I thoroughly hope developers don't develop for this and it dies before it gets off the ground (I doubt it though).
Because what you're really complaining about is that all the games act like they are the *same* game and playing different games simultaneously is somehow wrong.
If Steam knows which games you are playing, then what you want, is to be able to log in however many times you want, and play only _one_ instance of each game.
The problem of course, is that everything else associated with Steam (buddies, achievements, etc) is not set up to do that. Even with the proposed solution, how will messaging work? Accounts within accounts? This whole inconvenience is looked upon as a feature to software developers. See those 2-pack combo deals in the store?
Given how slow Valve operates (HL3 anyone) I would place the likelihood of this ever happening at zero. Go with whatever your Plan B is.
You don't seriously think that the Nintendo Wii, which hasn't had a firmware update in a while, is running brand new drivers for its video card?
Video and audio drivers on Wii are statically linked into each game. The firmware (called IOS, not to be confused with Apple's or Cisco's) handles only USB, Bluetooth, storage, and networking.
No problem, I'll just ls, pipe grep, pipe xargs... oh. Windows. Right.
What surprises me is that you haven't already installed MSYS or Cygwin, which provide a GNU command-line environment on Windows.
Not since the Dreamcast has the OS come on the disc.
Then explain the system update partition on every Wii disc since Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
A majority of games being made for PC these days already have native support for game controllers
Since when? I was under the impression that PC games had support for a game controller, singular, not game controllers, plural, in part due to publisher greed.
PC and Console gamers are playing the SAME games these days. Sure there's platform exclusives, but the big games are multi-platform.
Multi-platform in many cases has meant PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Where's Mortal Kombat (2011) for PC? Where's any fighting game other than Street Fighter IV and MUGEN for PC?
Tablets and smartphones, be they Android or iOS - run an OpenGL variant.
I thought Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 ran Direct3D and only Direct3D.
How is yet another console a real game changer?
Startups have trouble getting into Sony's and Nintendo's developer programs.
If your concern is the accessibility of text in the image, I have transcribed it for you.
I like playing Borderlands 2, but my wife likes playing Worms Reloaded, while my daughter likes playing Sonic Generations. But if we all tried to do this, the error message is "This account is currently logged in elsewhere." If I have purchased Borderlands 2, Worms Reloaded, and Sonic Generations, why can't we play them all at the same time? Every other digital service does this: for example, "2 computers are authorized to play content purchased with this Apple ID." Why can't Steam do something like this: "Account type: Family (3 devices)"?
Why are you putting everything on the same Steam account?
Presumably the daughter isn't old enough to have her own electronic payment method. If all gamers were 18+, there would be no need for ESRB or foreign counterparts.
From their point of view they're selling licenses to users, not families. You as an individual are not going to be playing more than one game at a time (Well, maybe not including WoW or EVE). Why do you think this is some sort of mistake instead of operating as intended? Furthermore, why are you disappointed when you license a game for your use and then someone else can't play it?
It's going to be really interesting to see what happens to Steam libraries as more and more gamers die and their heirs have trouble accessing them.
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